Diet sessions: 162nd (regular, January 21 to August 8), 163rd (special, September 26 to November 1) – 162nd and 163rd Diet are also often referred to as yūsei kokkai, "postal Diet"
March 16: The Shimane Prefecture assembly declares "Takeshima Day" to commemorate the centennial anniversary of Japan's claim to Liancourt Rocks (known as Takeshima in Japan, and Dokdo in Korea), starting a wave of protests in South Korea.
The first case of the H5N2 virus in Japan is discovered on a chicken farm in Jōsō, Ibaraki.
July
July 15: Two tankers collide in the Kumano Sea, with one bursting into flames, resulting in one death.
August
August 8: Postal service privatization, the keystone of Prime Minister Koizumi's platform, is voted down in the House of Councillors. Later in the day, Koizumi announces the dissolution of the House of Representatives and snap elections to be held the following month.7
September 11: Following a general election, the Liberal Democratic Party wins the largest House of Representatives majority in postwar history, holding a two-thirds supermajority along with coalition partner New Komeito.
October 14: The Postal Privatisation Bill enters the Diet.
October 17: Koizumi visits Yasukuni Shrine for the first time since 2004.
October 31: Koizumi reshuffles his cabinet, naming Shinzo Abe as Chief Cabinet Secretary, Heizo Takenaka as Minister of Internal Affairs and Taro Aso as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
November
November 15: Princess Sayako marries commoner Yoshiki Kuroda, thus giving up her imperial title.
Japanese official abandoned national project and development of superconducting passenger ferry Techno Superliner, due to high fuel cost. [citation needed]
